1. Field of Use
The present disclosure relates to processes for producing developers, e.g. a mixture of toner particles and carrier particles suitable for electrostatographic apparatuses.
2. Background
This disclosure relates generally to developers for forming and developing images. More particularly, the disclosure is directed to developers that can be produced and packaged for shipment to customers in a cost effective manner.
Toners and developers containing toners are essential components of any electrophotographic image forming system. In conventional electrophotographic image forming systems, an image is first projected onto a photoreceptor by performing a charging process and an exposure process. An electrostatic latent image is formed on the photoreceptor by first charging developers and then shifting the charged toner particles of the developers to the photoreceptor to develop the electrostatic latent image. Next, the developed electrostatic latent image is transferred onto a recording medium, for example paper. Finally, a fixed electrostatic image is obtained by fusing the toners to the recording medium using heat, pressure and/or light.
One way for developing an electrostatic latent image is a one-component developing process using only a toner. Another way is known as a two-component developing process using a toner and a carrier. In the two-component developing process, the toner and the carrier are mixed to become electrically charged with opposite polarities through triboelectrification.
Currently developers are produced by mixing, the proper amount of toner and carrier. After each mixing and blending step the resulting developer is transferred to one or more packages for shipment to customers. The mixer or blender needs to be cleaned for the next batch to eliminate cross color contamination. This cleaning step obviously lowers the yield and manufacturing efficiency. The preparation, mixing, cleaning and packaging steps add to the cost, especially for small scale shipments. Thus, there is a need for improved developer preparation technology which would use less blending time, increase the yield, enable higher profit and capture new business opportunities.